Alabama Track and Field Qualifies Nine for the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championships

3/4/2020 2:19:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country

A total of five women and four men are slated to compete at the NCAA Championships in eight individual events and one relay

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama track and field teams have advanced nine student-athletes to the NCAA Championships, which will be held March 13-14 at the Albuquerque Convention Center in Albuquerque, N.M.

The Crimson Tide will travel five women and four men to next week's national championships in Albuquerque, N.M., where they are slated to compete in eight individual events and a relay. In order to qualify for the NCAA Championships, an athlete has to be ranked in the top 16 of her or his event. Athletes who finish in the top eight of their event will earn points for their team.

Junior Tamara Clark enters with a chance for some serious points for the women's side, after earning spots in in the 60m, 200m and as part of the 4x400-meter relay. The women's 4x400m relay returns to the national stage as the Crimson Tide's top seed on the women's team, checking in at No. 1 after posting a season-best 3:29.36 to place first at last weekend's Southeastern Conference Championships. Senior Natassha McDonald will compete in the women's 400m and 4x400m relay, while fellow seniors Takyera Roberson and D'Jai Baker round out the 4x400m relay team. Sophomore Mercy Chelangat will represent women's distance in the 5000m at the national meet.

On the men's slate, sophomore Bobby Colantonio Jr. is the No. 2 seed in the men's weight throw after posting a program-best toss of 23.54m in the middle of the regular season. Three Crimson Tide men also punched tickets to Albuquerque including, senior Robert Dunning (60m hurdles), sophomore Christian Edwards (triple jump) and junior Isaac Odugbesan (shot put).

Women's Entrants (seed/mark)

D'Jai Baker, Sr., 4x400m relay (1st/ 3:29.36)
Mercy Chelangat, So., 5000m (6th/15:37.35)
Tamara Clark, Jr., 200m (3rd/22.69); 60m dash (13th/7.23); 4x400m relay (1st/ 3:29.36)
Natassha McDonald, Sr., 400m (15th/ 52.44); 4x400m relay (1st/ 3:29.36)
Takyera Roberson, Sr., 4x400-meter relay (7th/3:32.04)
Graduate student Katie Funcheon and junior Daija Lampkin, 4x400m relay (1st/ 3:29.36), will be making the trip as relay alternates

Men's Entrants (seed/mark)

Bobby Colantonio Jr., So., Weight Throw (2nd/23.54m)
Robert Dunning, Sr., 60m Hurdles (5th/ 7.65)
Christian Edwards, So., Triple Jump (13th/16.04m)
Isaac Odugbesan, Jr., Shot Put (16th/19.54m)

For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.